Advertise on podcast: Sacred Window Podcast: Nurturing Awareness in Postpartum Care

What happens when caring for others leaves little room to care for yourself? In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck welcomes Alysha Bell for an honest conversation about recognizing burnout, understanding the patterns that contribute to it, and finding ways to create a more sustainable postpartum care practice. Drawing from her own journey into postpartum care, Alysha shares how her desire to support families led her to take on more than she could comfortably sustain. Through reflection and intentional changes, she began rethinking her boundaries, her approach to caregiving, and the balance between her work and family life. Together, Christine and Alysha explore the importance of slowing down, releasing the pressure to do everything, building community support, and creating space for rest and self-reflection. They also discuss how caregivers can bring greater presence and flexibility into their work by responding to what families truly need rather than trying to complete every task. This conversation is an invitation for postpartum doulas and caregivers to consider how they can practice the same care they offer others, honor their own capacity, and build a practice that supports both their clients and their lives. As you listen, reflect on two questions: What are you willing to let go of? How can you practice what you preach today? About Alysha: Alysha Bell is a holistic birth and ayurvedic postpartum doula, educator, and owner/operator of Hippy Dippy Doula. Before entering birth work, she spent more than 10 years in the hair and aesthetics industry, an experience that taught her both the value of caring for others and the pressures of hustle culture. In the summer of 2025, Alysha experienced the deepest burnout of her life, prompting her to step back, dissolve what she had built, and rebuild her practice around greater alignment, capacity, and sustainability. Today, Alysha believes that a successful care-work career should support the life you want to live, not consume it. Her philosophy centers on building a business around your values, family, capacity, boundaries, and long-term vision, while recognizing the early signs of burnout and knowing when to course-correct. Through this lecture, she shares both lived experience and practical tools to help doulas create careers that are meaningful, aligned, and sustainable for the long term. www.hippydippydoula.com Alysha Bell| P.E.I. Doula |Holistic Birth/Traditional Postpartum (@hippydippydoula) • Instagram profile - https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

What if postpartum care began long before the baby arrived? In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck welcomes Joie Hernandez Caston, a certified full-spectrum doula, community health worker, educator, and founder of Root to Rise HTX, for a conversation about preventative postpartum care and the importance of supporting families before they reach a point of crisis. Joie's work centers the whole family throughout pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the transition into parenthood. Through her experience and personal journey into birth work, she shares why preparing for postpartum involves more than practical arrangements. It also means building strong communication, understanding family dynamics, and making space for the emotional and relational changes that come with welcoming a baby. Together, Christine and Joie explore how families can examine inherited patterns and expectations, communicate their needs, and intentionally decide what they want to carry forward into their own parenting journeys. In this episode, we explore: Why preventative postpartum support should begin before birthHow communication can strengthen relationships and support emotional well-beingThe importance of exploring family dynamics, expectations, and inherited patternsPreparing for the practical and emotional realities of postpartumSupporting partners and the whole family through the transition into parenthoodCreating sustainable postpartum plans that reflect each family's needsHow doulas can help families address discomfort and challenges before they reach a point of crisis Preventative postpartum care is an invitation to look beyond birth preparation and consider the relationships, communication, and support systems that shape a family's experience after birth. For postpartum care providers, this conversation offers a reminder that meaningful support begins with connection, listening, and understanding each family's unique circumstances. About Joie: Joie Hernandez Caston, B.S. Psych, is a Certified Full-Spectrum Doula, Community Health Worker, community educator, and founder of Root to Rise HTX. Her work centers the whole family through pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the transition into parenthood, with a focus on mental and emotional well-being, communication, relationship dynamics, and building sustainable systems of support before families reach a point of crisis. Her approach is deeply intergenerational. Joie helps families examine the patterns, expectations, and communication styles they inherited while intentionally deciding what they want to carry forward, what needs to change, and what they want the next generation to experience differently. She believes the transition into parenthood offers a unique opportunity not only to support a new parent and baby, but to strengthen communication between generations and create healthier foundations for the generations that follow. Drawing from psychology, community health, education, advocacy, and her own lived experience as a mother, Joie’s work bridges compassionate care with practical action—helping families move beyond preparing for birth toward intentionally preparing for the family they want to become. Joie H Caston | Houston Doula | Root to Rise HTX (@root2risehtx) • Instagram profile - https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck welcomes Nikki Nie, a longtime yoga instructor, retreat leader, and student of Ayurveda, for a heartfelt conversation about slowing down, nervous system regulation, and reconnecting with the joy of being fully present in our lives. Christine and Nikki explore the pressure to constantly achieve, the patterns that can lead to burnout, and the freedom that comes from learning to listen to our bodies and inner wisdom. Nikki shares how her own journey has shifted her relationship with rest, restoration, and the choices that bring her closer to a life of purpose and fulfillment. Through the lens of Ayurveda, they discuss the power of small daily rituals, honoring our individual rhythms, and creating practices that meet us where we are. Whether it is taking a few intentional breaths, making space for a quiet morning, or warming oil for a simple bedtime ritual, self-care does not have to be complicated to be meaningful. They also reflect on the transformative power of women's community, the importance of creating spaces where we can show up authentically, and how movement, laughter, and shared experiences can help us reconnect with our inherent capacity for joy. This is an invitation to release the pressure to do more, direct our energy toward what creates greater freedom, and remember that we do not have to earn the right to rest or experience joy. In this episode, we explore: Moving beyond burnout and the pressure to achieveNervous system regulation through breath and everyday practicesAyurveda and honoring our individual needs and rhythmsCreating simple, sustainable self-care ritualsListening to inner wisdom and making choices that support well-beingThe power of women's circles, retreats, and authentic connectionReconnecting with joy through movement, dance, and self-expressionFinding freedom by investing our energy in what truly nourishes us Reminder: when life feels overwhelming and the next step seems unclear, return to your breath. Listen to your heart and trust that it can help guide you toward what you need. Nikki Nie: Nikki Nie is a 500-hour E-RYT, Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Wellness Coach, meditation teacher, energy worker, sound healer, former professional dancer, and the founder of Wavelength Wellness and co-founder of Lahari Yoga School. Blending the ancient wisdom of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Tantra with movement, meditation, ritual, and nervous system care, Nikki creates spaces where women can reconnect with themselves and live with more presence, energy, and ease. Her emerging body of work, The Unrushed Woman, invites women to step out of urgency, overwhelm, and the glorification of exhaustion and return to their own natural rhythm. At the heart of this work is the belief that being unrushed is not a luxury. It is our true nature, and when a woman’s nervous system becomes a place she can call home, her presence has the power to regulate her relationships, her family, her work, and the rooms she enters. Nikki has created classes for Fabletics, PopSugar, Hyperice, Tonal, and KINRGY, and has shared her work through Oprah’s 2020 Vision Tour and virtual seminars with Tony Robbins. She leads retreats, teacher trainings, online practices, and transformational experiences around the world. Links: Wavelength Wellness: https://wavelength.thrivecart.com/ Website: https://nikkinie.com Instagram: Nikki Nie | Yoga • Tantra • Ayurveda (@nikki_nie_) • Instagram profile - https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck sits down with Lauren Felts, founder and CEO of Birthing Mothers, to talk about her journey into postpartum care and the vision that grew from her work with mothers and families. Lauren shares how her background in nutrition and her training in Ayurvedic postpartum care shaped the way she understands nourishment, healing, and the postpartum window. Through her work as a postpartum doula, she began to see the many questions and needs that families experience in the spaces between appointments and visits. That experience inspired her to create Birthing Mothers, a space where mothers can find grounded information, connection, and support while also bringing together practitioners from different areas of care. Christine and Lauren explore the importance of integrating evidence-based medicine with traditional and holistic wisdom, supporting postpartum partners, and creating community among the practitioners who care for families. They also talk about something equally important: who is caring for the caregivers? As Lauren's vision has expanded, so has her understanding that supporting mothers means looking at the whole system around them. Mothers, partners, practitioners, families, and communities are all interconnected. At the heart of this conversation is a simple but powerful reminder: we were never meant to do this alone. In this episode: • Lauren's journey into Ayurvedic postpartum care• The inspiration behind Birthing Mothers• Supporting mothers between appointments and visits• Bringing different approaches to care together• The role of partners in the postpartum experience• Supporting and nourishing practitioners• Building stronger networks of community care• Reimagining the village around motherhood About Lauren: Lauren Felts is a Certified Nutritionist, Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula, and the Founder & CEO of Birthing Mothers, a practitioner-led maternal wellness platform supporting women from preconception through pregnancy and postpartum. With nearly two decades in the health and wellness space, Lauren’s work is rooted in the belief that truly caring for women requires looking beyond physical health alone. Birthing Mothers brings together evidence-based Western medicine with nutrition, Ayurveda, movement, meditation, breathwork, mental health support, and other integrative practices—giving women trusted education, practical tools, community, and access to experienced maternal-health practitioners in one supportive space. Born from Lauren’s own experience of pregnancy and motherhood, Birthing Mothers is working to create a more connected and human approach to maternal care—one that supports the body, mind, and heart while helping women build greater self-trust throughout the transition into motherhood. Lauren is also passionate about building a connected network of maternal-health professionals and creating meaningful collaboration across disciplines. Birthing Mothers is currently welcoming new practitioner partnerships with aligned providers and organizations interested in education, referrals, events, community, and expanding integrative support for women and families. Links: Learn more: www.wearebirthingmothers.comPractitioner Partnerships: https://www.wearebirthingmothers.com/practitioners - https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com. #SacredWindowPodcast #SacredWindowStudies #LaurenFelts #BirthingMothers #ConsciousPostpartumCare #PostpartumSupport #AyurvedicPostpartum #Ayurveda #CommunityCare

What contributes to a safer birth experience, and how can families and birth workers prepare to recognize and respond to challenges during labor and delivery? In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck speaks with Gina Mundy, an attorney, author, mother of three, and childbirth safety advocate who has spent more than 23 years specializing in childbirth cases and birth trauma litigation. Gina shares insights from her work identifying recurring patterns in preventable childbirth mistakes, including induction, Pitocin, fetal monitoring, communication, and hospital pressures. The conversation explores the importance of birth planning, informed preparation, and the role of doulas as advocates, communicators, and supportive bridges between families and medical teams. Christine and Gina also discuss birth trauma, including experiences that may be overlooked when everyone appears physically well. They explore how families can receive compassionate, individualized postpartum support and why preparation before birth can make a meaningful difference. In this episode, we explore: Preventable mistakes during labor and deliveryInduction of labor and the use of PitocinBirth planning and informed preparationDoulas as advocates and communication bridgesNavigating communication with medical professionalsRecognizing and supporting birth traumaPractical postpartum care following a difficult birthPreparing families before labor beginsResources Mentioned: The Parent’s Guide to a Safer ChildbirthChildbirth Attorney PodcastSafer Childbirth CommunityThis conversation is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical or legal advice. - Guest: Gina Mundy Gina Mundy is a prominent American attorney, bestselling author, speaker, podcaster, and mother of three. For over 23 years, she has specialized in childbirth cases and birth trauma litigation, traveling the country meeting with doctors, nurses, and midwives, spending thousands of hours analyzing medical records, interviewing delivery teams, and cross-examining the nation's top experts, all to answer one haunting question: why does the most joyful day of a family's life sometimes become the worst? What she uncovered changed everything. The mistakes made during labor and delivery are not random. They are patterns, and in most cases, they are preventable. Driven by that discovery, Gina authored A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth and founded the Safer Childbirth Community (http://Skool.com ), where expecting parents nationwide access the information, tools, and support they need to have a healthy baby. As the host of The Childbirth Attorney Podcast, she delivers real stories, candid expert conversations, and life changing takeaways for expecting families. Gina's mission is simple: "I've seen what goes wrong. Now I'm making sure it doesn't happen to you." Website: https://ginamundy.com/ Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@thechildbirthattorney Gina’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9KSHZBC?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback Email: [email protected] - https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com. #SacredWindow #ConsciousPostpartumCare #BirthAdvocacy #DoulaSupport #BirthTrauma

What happens when life asks us to put down the roles we have carried and listen for who we are underneath them? In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck sits with author, songwriter, and AI technology executive Tova Citrin for a deeply personal conversation about story, faith, creativity, identity, and finding our way back to ourselves. Tova shares the unexpected path that led her into high tech, despite being drawn from childhood to poetry, spirituality, philosophy, and creative work. Years later, after becoming a mother, going through divorce, losing her job, and living through war, she found herself asking: Who am I, and what do I really want next? The answer led her back to a novel she had written years earlier, back to poetry, back to songwriting, and into new creative territory she never could have predicted. Together, Christine and Tova explore the power of story to help us understand our lives, the intersection of faith, mystery, and destiny, and what can emerge when we make space to hear the quieter voice within. This is a conversation about life transitions, creativity, and the parts of ourselves that may have been waiting patiently for us to return. Sometimes the way forward begins by finding our way back. Listen in to hear Tova’s story, and consider what part of yourself may be asking to be remembered right now. Guest: Tova Citrin Tova Citrin is an author, songwriter, and AI technology executive who believes that stories have the power to transform lives. Born in the United States and now living in Israel, she draws inspiration from spirituality, Jewish mysticism, and the enduring resilience of the human spirit. Her work explores the places where faith, mystery, and destiny intersect. When she's not writing fiction, Tova works in artificial intelligence and trust & safety, helping make the digital world safer. Ten Seconds to Midnight is her debut novel. Links: Website: www.tovacitrin.com YouTube – Aviya Sage: Aviya Sage Ten Seconds to Midnight: Available on Amazon here - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom: https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

*This episode is taken from a class offered to our student community by the amazing Stacey Ramsower. We are honored to share it here on the Sacred Window podcast as an opportunity to support our listeners. Sexual Healing for Empowered Birth What does sexuality have to do with birth? In this conversation, Stacey Ramsower explores the deep connection between sexuality, embodiment, consent, and empowered birth. Drawing from her lived experience, work as an Ayurvedic full-spectrum doula, holistic pelvic floor bodyworker, intimacy and communication coach, and sex-positive childbirth educator, Stacy invites us to look beneath the surface of our experiences and examine the patterns we carry into pregnancy, birth, relationships, and postpartum. Our early experiences can shape how we understand our bodies, pleasure, safety, boundaries, and self-worth. These imprints can live in the nervous system and influence how we respond to touch, communicate our needs, and advocate for ourselves during significant life transitions. In this episode, Stacey explores the Wheel of Consent and the importance of understanding the difference between giving, receiving, allowing, and tolerating touch. She also discusses the relationship between voice and the pelvic structures, the role of autonomy in birth, and how learning to say "no," "maybe," or "I've changed my mind" can become a powerful practice of self-authorship. The conversation also includes an embodied practice using sound and the three diaphragms of the body, offering a way to connect with the pelvic floor, respiratory diaphragm, and thoracic diaphragm while cultivating a deeper sense of coherence and presence. Together, we explore: • How sexuality and birth are connected through the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual layers of our experience• How early family and cultural messages can shape our relationship with sexuality and intimacy• The ways inherited patterns can influence our relationships, boundaries, and sense of self• The Wheel of Consent and developing greater awareness around giving and receiving touch• Why consent is an ongoing practice that can be communicated, felt, changed, and withdrawn• The relationship between voice, the nervous system, the pelvic floor, and birth• How birth can bring deeply held patterns and experiences to the surface• The importance of self-authorship and communicating our needs• Using sound and embodied awareness to support connection and coherence• Creating safer spaces where sexuality, birth, boundaries, and healing can be explored openly This conversation is an invitation to become more curious about your own body, your own patterns, and your own capacity to know what you want. Because empowered birth is not only about what happens to the body. It is also about having a voice, experiencing choice, and knowing that your needs and boundaries matter. Guest: Stacey Ramsower Ayurvedic Full-Spectrum Doula, Holistic Pelvic Floor Bodyworker, Trauma Resolution Practitioner, Intimacy and Communication Coach, Sex-Positive Childbirth Educator, and Doctoral Student in Psychology. Links: Stacey Ramsower, MA ❤️‍🔥 (@stacey_ramsower) • Instagram profile Learn more about the Center for Sacred Window Studies and explore upcoming community gatherings and educational opportunities at Sacred Window Studies. - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom: https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Eck welcomes Nina Spears, a longtime birth and postpartum doula, educator, author of The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy, and founder and CEO of Baby Chick. Together, they explore the hidden mental load that can begin long before a baby arrives and how families can prepare for birth and postpartum with more support, connection, and shared responsibility. Even when expecting parents read the books, take the classes, make the checklists, and do everything they can to prepare, the transition into parenthood can still bring overwhelm, uncertainty, and a profound shift in identity. Christine and Nina reflect on the pressure to stay productive, the practice of slowing down and becoming present, and the importance of listening to what the body, baby, and family truly need in each moment. They also explore why support is often what families wish they had prioritized most. From building a village before it is needed to identifying trusted resources, connecting with other parents, and allowing ourselves to receive care, this conversation is a reminder that parenthood was never meant to be navigated alone. A central part of this conversation is the invisible mental load that many mothers begin carrying during pregnancy. Nina shares how the responsibility of researching providers, planning for birth, preparing the home, arranging childcare, and managing countless decisions can quietly become overwhelming. She offers a powerful invitation to bring partners into the process from the beginning, share responsibilities according to individual strengths, and move away from one person carrying the role of manager for the entire family. This episode is a thoughtful conversation about preparation, surrender, partnership, and the healing power of being supported. Because while we cannot control exactly how birth or postpartum will unfold, we can gather knowledge, create our support systems, and remember that we do not have to walk through this journey blind or alone. Bio: Nina Spears, also known as “The Baby Chick," is a certified baby planner, birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, newborn care educator, infant massage instructor, perinatal nutrition expert, and the Founder & CEO of Baby Chick®, a trusted digital media resource that has supported millions of expecting and new parents worldwide. For more than 15 years, she has helped over 800 families in person and thousands virtually prepare for pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenthood, and has attended more than 350 births. Nina is also the host of Chick Chat: The Baby Chick Podcast and the author of The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy. Her mission is to help parents feel informed, supported, and empowered as they navigate one of life's greatest transformations. Links: Baby Chick: Trusted Pregnancy Tips, Birth & Parenting Support Positive Pregnancy Book [email protected] - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom: https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

This episode is from a live workshop with Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin, hosted for our student and professional communities. A cesarean birth is a major abdominal surgery, and recovery can bring a unique set of physical, emotional, and practical needs into the sacred postpartum window. In this conversation, Ashlee shares from both her experience as a postpartum caregiver and her own experience recovering from a cesarean birth. Through an Ayurvedic lens, we explore the increased vata that accompanies birth and surgery, and how conscious postpartum care can help bring warmth, nourishment, rest, presence, and support to the recovery process. Ashlee and Christine discuss practical considerations for supporting cesarean clients, including preparing for the cold and sensory intensity of the operating room, supporting digestion and elimination, nourishing tissue repair, managing pain, creating physical ease during those first days of recovery, and recognizing the emotional impact of a birth that may not have unfolded as planned. The conversation also brings us back to the Universal Mother Principles: love, simplicity, compassion, flexibility, non-judgment, community, intuition, and listening. These principles remind us that conscious caregiving is not about following a perfect protocol. It is about listening closely, meeting each person where they are, and creating circles of care around the birther and family. This is a practical and deeply personal conversation for postpartum caregivers, doulas, Ayurvedic practitioners, birth professionals, and anyone wanting to better understand how we can offer informed, compassionate care after cesarean birth. As Ashlee reminds us, the small things can make a profound difference during recovery. Sometimes conscious care begins with simply knowing what someone may need before they have to ask. Learn more about conscious postpartum care and the Center for Sacred Window Studies at sacredwindowstudies.com. This episode is educational in nature and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. Cesarean recovery and wound care should always be supported in partnership with the appropriate medical professionals. Bio: Ashlee Sakaishi Wilkin Ashlee is a founding instructor of the Center for Sacred Window Studies.  She is a mama, an Ayurvedic Practitioner, a Massage Therapist, Birth and Postpartum Doula and educator.  She has been fascinated and inspired by birth, babies, and pregnant mama bellies since she was a little girl. Growing up, she witnessed the birth miracle of baby animals many times at her mom’s Veterinary hospital. This and other life experiences planted the seed for her life-long interest in birth work. She is passionate about transforming our cultural perspective on pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and parenting by bringing back ancient wisdom for the modern family.  - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom: https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

The first week after birth is unlike any other time in a person's life. It is a season of profound openness—when the body, mind, and spirit are especially receptive to gentle, intentional care. In this conversation, Christine Eck is joined by Charlotte Senseney-Sternkind, founding instructor at the Center for Sacred Window Studies and expert in Ayurvedic postpartum bodywork, to explore the ancient practice of Marma Therapy and why it is uniquely suited to support the earliest days of the postpartum journey. Together, they discuss how conscious touch can help regulate the nervous system, encourage deep rest, balance the heightened Vata qualities present after birth, and create a sense of safety and grounding during one of life's most transformative transitions. Charlotte also shares how Marma Therapy works with the body's subtle energy points to support healing in a way that is both gentle and deeply restorative. Whether you're a postpartum professional, birth worker, Ayurvedic practitioner, or an expectant parent wanting to better understand the sacred postpartum window, this episode offers timeless wisdom on the healing power of presence, touch, and slowing down. In this episode, you'll learn: • What Marma Therapy is and how it differs from massage• Why the first week postpartum is an especially important time for gentle therapeutic touch• How Marma Therapy helps calm the nervous system and support emotional and physical recovery• The Ayurvedic understanding of Vata after birth and why balancing it matters• How conscious touch can become a meaningful part of postpartum care for families and practitioners alike If this conversation inspires you to deepen your understanding of postpartum care, explore the Center for Sacred Window Studies' professional training programs, where Charlotte teaches Conscious Touch for Postpartum, including Marma Therapy, practitioner-given Abhyanga, infant Abhyanga, lymphatic support, and other restorative Ayurvedic bodywork practices. Because when we honor the sacred first days after birth, we create the conditions for healing that can ripple through a lifetime. Bio: Charlotte is a founding instructor of the Center for Sacred Window Studies.  She was led to this work by Spirit as she came up with a business name during meditation. The teacher who trained her called one day and said she had been informally calling her students Ayurdoulas. That is how her deeper journey as a postpartum doula began after years of being a birth doula and prenatal massage therapist. She fully believes in supporting the mama and her experience of growing, birthing and nurturing life on this earth. Charlotte loves seeing how even the simplest shift can add sweetness to the mama’s Sacred Window and put a smile on her face in the midst of changes. Charlotte lives in San Antonio, TX. Charlotte retired from teaching at the Center for Sacred Window Studies at the end of 2025. Her impact and her devotion to this Center is ongoing. As we approach our bodywork module this coming fall, we honor her teachings and wisdom. - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom: https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

What becomes possible when we begin to see postpartum care not as a luxury, but as an essential part of community health? In this thoughtful roundtable conversation, Christine is joined by Conscious Postpartum Caregivers Ayana Muhammad and Brooke Conroy to explore how ancient postpartum wisdom can work alongside modern social services to better support mothers, babies, and families. Together, they reflect on their experiences serving diverse communities, the gaps that exist in postpartum care, and why so many families are left to navigate one of life's greatest transitions without meaningful support. They discuss the opportunity to weave holistic postpartum care, rooted in Ayurveda and the Universal Mother Principles, into systems that already serve families through social work, nonprofit organizations, and community-based programs. This conversation is an invitation to think beyond individual caregiving and toward collective transformation. If we want healthier families, stronger communities, and more resilient generations, postpartum must become part of the conversation wherever care is offered. Whether you are a social worker, birth professional, nonprofit leader, healthcare provider, or someone who simply believes every family deserves to be supported after birth, this episode offers both inspiration and practical possibilities for the future of postpartum care. In this episode, we explore: Why postpartum planning is so often overlooked despite careful birth planning.The unique role social workers and community organizations can play in postpartum healing.How Ayurvedic postpartum care complements existing support systems.The importance of culturally responsive, relationship-centered caregiving.Serving families through collaboration rather than isolated services.Building stronger communities by honoring the sacred postpartum window. At the Center for Sacred Window Studies, we believe that when we care for mothers with presence, nourishment, and consciousness, we change far more than one postpartum experience. We strengthen families, communities, and future generations. Thank you for joining us as we continue expanding awareness, education, and access to informed postpartum care worldwide. If this conversation resonates with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who is helping shape the future of family care. Panelists: Christine Eck, Ayana Muhammad and Brooke Conroy Ayana Muhammad and Brooke Conroy are passionate mothers and postpartum caregivers with a background in social services including WIC and Healthy Families. They are part of the Sacred Window Studies professional community. - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom: https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

What if preparing for birth meant more than packing a hospital bag or creating the perfect birth plan? In this heartfelt episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Devlin Eck welcomes postpartum doula, childbirth educator, prenatal yoga teacher, and infant loss doula Marissa Mignone for a conversation about the deeper dimensions of birth preparation. After supporting families for over a decade, Marissa shares how becoming a mother transformed not only her personal experience of birth and postpartum, but also the way she supports others. Together, they explore how preparing the mind, heart, body, and community creates a foundation for navigating birth with greater trust, resilience, and openness. This episode offers thoughtful insights for expectant parents, birth workers, and anyone seeking a more holistic understanding of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. In this episode, you'll learn: Why birth preparation extends beyond the physical bodyHow emotional resilience supports the birth experienceThe importance of nervous system regulation during pregnancy and postpartumWhy community is essential for birth and healingHow surrender and trust can transform the unknownThe role of rituals, storytelling, and mindfulness in preparing for birthHow motherhood reshaped Marissa's work as a birth and postpartum doula Whether you're preparing for your own birth, supporting growing families, or deepening your caregiving practice, this conversation offers gentle wisdom on embracing birth as a profound rite of passage. ✨ Connect with Marissa Mignone and learn more about her offerings: Marissa is a Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Instructor based in Truckee, California, where she serves families throughout the surrounding Tahoe communities. Her love of birth began in childhood, and she has spent the past ten years honoring that calling by supporting parents through pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum window. After discovering the world of doula work in 2012, Marissa trained through Birthing From Within's Doula and Mentor program. She has since deepened her education with Jane Austin's Prenatal/Postnatal Yoga Level 1 and 2 certifications, Spinning Babies workshops, Birth Story Listening, and an Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula training with Sacred Window Studies. In 2024, she completed a miscarriage and infant loss doula certification through The Miscarriage Doula Collective. Her style is loving, compassionate, grounding, and dynamic. Marissa helps families understand their options, make empowered decisions, and find solutions in the moment, while also guiding partners and fathers in how to best support the birthing person. At the heart of her work is a simple devotion: to walk alongside parents, hold space through doubt and difficulty, and lovingly support each family through their unique journey into parenthood. You can learn more about Marissa's work at her website, www.mountainblessingsbirth.com - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-... - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

Many postpartum professionals complete their training feeling excited and equipped with practical skills, only to discover that some of the most challenging aspects of the work emerge once they begin supporting families in real-life situations. In this solo episode, Christine Devlin Eck explores five important areas that many postpartum trainings don't fully prepare caregivers for: holding emotional and mental health weight, managing their own nervous system and burnout, navigating boundaries with clients, witnessing trauma without absorbing it, and building confidence in the business side of postpartum care. Drawing from over a decade of experience as a postpartum doula, educator, and mentor, Christine shares how Ayurvedic postpartum care and the Universal Mother Principles offer practical frameworks for creating sustainable, grounded, and compassionate caregiving practices. Whether you're a postpartum doula, birth worker, caregiver, or someone considering entering the field, this conversation offers valuable insights into what it truly takes to support families while also caring for yourself. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why emotional and mental health challenges can feel overwhelming for new caregivers• How understanding scope of practice helps prevent burnout and compassion fatigue• The role of Ayurveda in supporting both caregivers and postpartum families• How healthy boundaries create stronger client relationships• Ways to witness trauma without carrying it as your own• Why community and professional networks are essential in postpartum work• How self-trust and confidence develop through clarity, mentorship, and experience• The importance of creating a sustainable and balanced caregiving business If this episode resonates with you, share it with a fellow postpartum professional or someone passionate about supporting families during the Sacred Window. - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-cookbook/ - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

What if discipline didn't have to feel hard? In this episode of the Sacred Window Podcast, Christine Devlin Eck sits down with Clementina Consens, founder of Earth to Clemi, to explore the practice of soft self-discipline and the profound wisdom available when we begin listening to the rhythms of the natural world. Together, they discuss how small, consistent acts of self-care can create lasting transformation, why honoring our personal seasons matters, and how reconnecting with nature can help us cultivate greater trust in ourselves. This conversation offers a gentle alternative to the pressure of perfectionism, inviting us to move through life with more presence, self-compassion, and awareness of our own unique timing. Whether you're navigating a season of transition, seeking more balance, or longing to feel grounded in a fast-moving world, this episode is a reminder that meaningful change often begins with the smallest daily practices. In This Episode, You'll Discover: • What soft self-discipline really means and how it differs from traditional ideas of discipline• The power of small daily rituals and cumulative change• How nature's cycles can teach us about rest, growth, and transformation• Why trusting your inner wisdom is an essential part of well-being• Ways to cultivate greater presence and connection in everyday life• How honoring your own season can reduce overwhelm and support sustainable growth Guest: Clementina Consens Clementina Consens is a Toronto-based artist, program designer, and environmental scientist with over eight years of experience at the intersection of climate literacy and intentional living. Through her brand Earth to Clemi, she develops workshops, seasonal tools, and creative frameworks that help people build habits in rhythm with the natural world. Soft self-discipline is their wellness practice for embodied responsibility to themselves and their communities, a devotional approach to rituals aligned with nature's cyclical cues. She has just released the Earth To Clemi Field Guide — a seasonal guide to living in right relationship with nature and yourself, launching this fall. Link: Clementina Consens Connect with Us - Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-... - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

In this nourishing conversation, Christine Eck sits down with nutrition expert, bestselling author, and "Juice Lady" Cherie Calbom to explore one of the most important questions of the postpartum journey: What should we eat after birth? Together, they bridge Ayurvedic postpartum wisdom and whole-food nutrition, discovering that while their traditions may use different language, they share a common foundation: simple, nourishing foods that support digestion, healing, and vitality. They discuss why postpartum nutrition doesn't need to be complicated, the importance of digestive health, how warming foods support recovery after birth, and why slowing down at mealtimes may be just as important as the food itself. Cherie also shares insights from her latest book, The Truth About Seed Oils, offering practical guidance for reducing inflammation and making more informed food choices in a world filled with processed options. More than a conversation about nutrition, this episode is an invitation to consider nourishment as a whole-life practice—one that includes rest, connection, purpose, joy, and the wisdom to listen deeply to what our bodies are asking for. Whether you are a new mother, a postpartum caregiver, or someone seeking a more conscious relationship with food, this episode offers grounded wisdom for healing one meal at a time. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why simple, whole foods remain the foundation of postpartum healing• The connection between digestion, nourishment, and recovery after birth• How Ayurveda approaches food during the postpartum window• The role of warming foods, soups, broths, and healthy fats in recovery• Practical ways to reduce inflammation through everyday food choices• Why mindful eating, chewing, and slowing down support better digestion• How to balance healthy habits with flexibility, joy, and real life• The deeper relationship between nourishment, purpose, and emotional well-being Resources Mentioned: • Home - The Juice Lady, Cherie Calbom, MS• The Truth About Seed Oils - The Juice Lady, Cherie Calbom, MS If this conversation resonates with you, we'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could benefit from a gentler, more nourishing approach to postpartum healing. Healing happens meal by meal, breath by breath, and day by day. ⟡ CONNECT WITH US Begin your own journey into nourishment and postpartum wisdom:https://sacredwindowstudies.com/free-... - Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care? Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path. Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class @‌sacredwindowstudies Join our ⁠Facebook Group⁠ Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara’s incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.